Holly Short
by teenyvontease
Summary: i had to do a creative response for my ISU for school.. and this is what i came up with... a little short story about Holly's past


Holly Short sighed heavily as she entered her underground apartment. It had been a long day at the University, and it showed on her weary face. She tossed her hemp bag on the loveseat in her living room and moved over to her cozy little bedroom. Her apartment was on the small side, but that didn't matter much when you lived alone and weren't really a material person. Holly was a happy fairy when she had a bed, food, shelter and nice warm slime bath. The slime bath was what her mind was on at that particular moment, so she slid out of her clothes and went to the bathroom to fill the tub.

Holly let out a blissful moan as her chestnut coloured body slid into the slime. Heaven. She took the remote to her small audio player and turned it on to the popular band, The Dung Beatles. Then she rolled all that had happened that day through her head.

First there was the fact that she had been twenty minutes late for her first class of the day, and no matter how much she tried to blame it on the horrible traffic in the thoroughfare, she was still docked two late points. She was now only ten points away from being put on Academic Probation. The university had very strict policies on attendance, if you wanted to be part of their programs; you had to put all you had into it.

Of course there was also the fact that she was the first and only female fairy to apply, and be accepted, into the police program, and because of this she faced a great amount of discrimination from her teacher and peers. Ever since it had been established, however many centuries ago, all strands of public protection were run and controlled by males. The only reason Holly had been accepted into the program was because she had scored amazingly high on her entry test, and had shown great potential in the field exam. All this just so she could take three university courses: Law, Criminology, and Intro to Recon.

Then there was the mock interrogation that took place in her Criminology class. The exercise seemed simple, go into an 'interrogation room' and try to get the 'convicts' confession. In theory it was simple, and in theory, Holly could do it. But hardly anything in police work plays out the way it does 'in theory'.

Holly had walked into the room with confidence, auburn hair bouncing in a bob cut, hazel eyes flashing with assurance and, what she thought, ferocity. The 'convict' was in fact a fourth year student who had volunteered for the activity. He sat on one side of the table, an air of indifference showing both in his body language and his face. Holly approached the table and sat down, all the facts that she had been given about the case, and all the textbook examples running through her head. Her voice sounded confident when she first spoke, but in reality her heart was pounding and her hands shaking. This assignment was worth ten percent of her mark, if she failed, she'd be down to seventy percent, inexcusable for any student in her field, even more so for her.

"Good afternoon Mr. Kelp, I'm Officer Short and I'd like to ask you a few questions about the crime you allegedly committed."

Kelp had stared at her, a mixture of boredom from his character, and prejudice from his actual opinion of her, showed in his eyes, "Whatever piglet, I didn't do nuthin'."

Holly then continued, no road blocks yet, "It says here that you were found lurking a mere two streets away from the scene of the crime, a break-in at the 'Flight and Fancy' electronics store. It also says that when the arresting officer searched you he found three radio earpieces and no receipt, as well as several other products hidden in a trash can in the alley."

"Man, I told you guys, er-," He looked her up and down, "Girls, that I lost the damn receipt!"

Holly chose to ignore the comment, "Yes that may be what you said, but when we asked the store clerk, she identified you as the criminal."

"Then that _D'lent_ was blind, I didn't do nuthin'." He swore and Holly sucked in an offended gasp. '_D'lent_' was a derogatory term for females, nothing too offensive, but definitely not a word to use around your mother. Holly curled her fingers into a fist, resisting the urge to say something back; after all, this was just a simulation. Holly and the rest of the students had been told that the volunteer would be following approved scripts, so Holly just ignored it.

"While that may be your story, you also don't have a stable alibi." Holly continued on.

"Listen _Foorbik_, I didn't rob no damn store, and even if I did, _you_ wouldn't be the one to get the confession out of me!" Kelp's words seethed with disgust toward the female student in front of him, how could she even _think_ of trying to become an officer?

That had been enough for Holly, never in her life had she been called a _Foorbik_, a word that was countless times worse then the one used before. Only the most disgraceful slime of the Underground even thought of using that word. The fist that she had made earlier swung back and hit Kelp square in the nose, all the force of a severely pissed off female behind it. His nose started sprouting blood and her teacher who had been watching from behind the two way-mirror burst into the room.

Good, thought Holly, Mr. Gerber would handle this, put the 'convict' back in his place as it were. But Holly was shocked to hear what her teacher had to say next.

"God-dammit Holly, what the hell is wrong with you?! You have no right to harm a convict, and especially not a student!" He scolded her as he staunched Kelp's bloody nose with his handkerchief.

Holly had been so shocked that she couldn't even say anything for a full minute. How could he be accusing _her_ of wrong-doing? She knew he had heard every word coming out of Kelp's mouth, yet he said nothing to him!

"B-but professor, you heard what he called me!" She protested, fuming.

"But-nothing Holly. I couldn't care less what he called you. This was supposed to be a simulation based on real life, and if you think you can make it as an officer in this business, you should get used to name-calling and discrimination here and now. If you think that a real life criminal is going to just look over the fact that you are not only an officer, but also a female, then you are highly mistaken. I want you to go see administration right now. I've already sent someone to inform them of the situation. I'd say, 'see you in class,' but I may not. Good day Short." That was all he said before turning back to Kelp.

Holly remembered standing on the other side of the table, defeated. She walked dejectedly out of the small room, avoiding the sneering faces of the students in her class. She also remembered the sudden feeling of panic as she walked towards the administrator's office. Would she get suspended, or worse? She had heard of students getting expelled for much smaller reasons than this.

As she lay in the slime, she thanked her lucky stars that administration had only suspended her, but she gulped as she remembered that they had also docked a whole five points. She'd have to take some severe action to get back points. Nothing but serious studying, volunteer action and extra curricular activates for the rest of the semester. Holly didn't even want to think about what her parents were going to say.

Holly's mother was an elf with a stubborn personality, but a kind nature. She used to be a model, but currently works as an artist and editor for Mud Magazine, a fairy based, human tabloid magazine. It's not the most respected magazine out there, but for some reason it developed a huge fallowing with fairy's, mainly as a guilty pleasure. Holly knew that her mother would be disappointed with her, mainly because she knew how much drive and potential Holly had for this career.

Holly didn't even want to think of her father. He was a criminal lawyer who was greatly respected amongst the police network. He prided himself on having his only daughter be the first female to get into the program. Knowing that she nearly got kicked out, and was suspended… Holly shuddered and closed her eyes, letting out a few tears. The last thing the ever wanted to do was disappoint her father, and now she had gone and done this, what in Haven was he going to say?

Well Holly found out the very next day when she received a very dramatic phone call from her parent's house.

"Holly! What in Haven where you thinking? When the school called me this morning I nearly fainted, not to mention what your father was feeling!" Yelled the shrill voice of Holly's mother at the other end of the line. Holly cringed; she knew this would happen at some point.

"Mom, I'm sorry, I know I was out of line-" Holly tried to say before she was interrupted by the voice of her father,

"Damn right you were out of line! You broke the nose of a fourth year student! If you think you can throw your future away because of some stupid boy, then you're wrong! You can't believe how disappointed I am in you! I had faith that my one and only daughter would be smart enough to know when to draw the line, but now I'm not so sure! You've risked your entire future! You know that you're the only female to make it into that program, and if you fail you will just be proving every chauvinistic, sexist male out there right!" Howard Short yelled into the phone. Holly fought a losing battle to not burst into tears.

"Daddy, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to. It's just, there was so much pressure, and that stupid boy was being such a _Grenlas_ that I didn't know what else to do." Holly sobbed into the phone. Then Holly heard the phone being pulled around and her mother's voice in the background,

"Howard give me the phone, no give it! Dammit you prick, give me the phone! Holly, Holly dear, are you alright?" Asked her mother.

Holly sniffed, wiping away her tears, "No mom I'm not. Everything dad said was right, I put my future in jeopardy-"

"Oh don't listen to your father, he's just a-"

"Mom! No, I'm telling you, he's right. I should have known better. I'm going to write a formal letter of apology to Kelp, he's the student, and also apologize to Mr. Gerber."

"Damn right you are." Holly's father said in the background, and Holly guessed that he had his ear pressed against the phone. She heard the phone get moved around again, and her father once again spoke to her,

"Honey, you know I only want what's best for you. That's why I push you so hard. Both your mother and I know what you are capable of, and we don't want your short temper to get in the way of your dreams."

Holly sighed and let a small smile form on her lips, "Yeah dad, you know I know all that. And I promise that I won't let my tempter get in the way of the tasks I have in front of me." Holly felt good knowing that not all was lost in terms of her parent's opinion of her.

"I'm glad to hear that. And your mother wants me to remind you that you are due for a family visit next weekend."

Holly rolled her eyes, they still treated her like a child, "Yes daddy, I remember. That _is_ what a calendar is for." She said, glancing at one of the horribly cheesy wall calendars that her parents insisted on buying her every year. This particular one was a collection of ridiculously adorable puppies that they had gotten her as a souvenir from a Mud Person's store.

"Bye hunny, remember that we love you and just want what's best." Chimed her mother in the background. Holly said her goodbyes and hung up the phone, glad that she had gotten that over as quickly, and fairly painlessly, as possible.

--

Holly woke up to the sound of her phone ringing. She groaned and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, what time was it? She rolled around and looked at the alarm clock beside her bed, 3:26 PM. Who would call her this early? She groaned again and dragged up her tired body to answer the phone,

"Hello?" She said groggily.

"Holly, it's your mother." Said the quaking voice of Helena Short.

"Mom? What are you calling me for? It like, three-thirty in the morning" Holly tried to rub the tiredness out of her mind.

"Holly, it's, it's you father."

Holly shot awake, suddenly matching the tone of her mothers voice to the words she was saying, "What mom, what's wrong with dad? What happened?" There was no drowsiness left in her.

"Well he's, he's had a heart attack."

Holly slumped, stunned by the words. Her father, had a heart attack? How could that be possible, he was one of the healthiest, stress-free fairy's she knew. She tried, but failed at forming words.

"Are you there? Holly, please say something, are you okay?" Asked her mother through the phone.

"Huh? Oh yeah, I'm… here." But she wasn't really. She was trapped in a sudden flashback of memories. Her and her father playing Crunch Ball after school, practicing evasive manoeuvres, and just three days ago, seeing them for dinner. Now that was gone, nothing like that would ever happen again, unless… "Mom, is he alright, I mean, was the heart attack fatal?" Holly had a sudden burst of hope, maybe he just had a heart attack, people survive from them every day right?

"Hunny, I'm sorry, but, it was…" Holly heard her mother try to hold back a sob. Neither could speak any longer, both bursting into long, heart wrenching sobs.

--

There was a gathering of approximately eighty people at Howard Short's funeral. These aren't like Mud People funerals, with churches and wakes and graveyards, they are quite different. The immediate family of the deceased is in charge of dressing the body in a white robe, covering the body with incense oils, and setting the body on a pyre. Then they each use a torch to light the body on fire. After which the whole gathering sings the traditional Fairy funeral song, _Junikra Loperai Sensi_, while holding lit candles. The ashes are gathered and split between the deceased family and are stored in small glass jars for each of them to keep in their homes. Some Fairy's request that their ashes be released above ground, usually on the grounds of Tara in Ireland, but many fairy's choose not to do this as they see it as a way of trapping their family in the world of Mud People, and therefore its disrespectful to them.

Holly returned to the house with her mother, both ashen faced and red eyed. The day had been weary enough for both of them. Having to greet every single guest as they entered the pyre pavilion had been hard enough, but having to light the body was probably the worst. Holly could still remember the fire crackling merrily around her father's body. At least this way it didn't rot like most humans choose to do

"How are you doing?" Holly asked, more concerned for her mother's well being at this moment then her own. Helena looked at her bright, young daughter, wondering how she could have been so blessed as to have such a wonderful child.

"I've been better, but having you here helps. Just knowing that you aren't breaking down keeps me from doing so." Helena told her daughter, running a tapered finger through Holly's hair. Holly hugged her mother, succeeding, for once, to keep the tears from flowing once more.

"We'll be alright mom, I promise. I'm going to get top grades and make the LEPrecon team after I graduate. Dad won't be able to see me, but just doing so will make me satisfied in knowing that he'd be proud."

Helena hugged Holly tightly, kissing her on her chestnut forehead, "You'll do the both of us proud."

--

Holly stood in front of her full length mirror and checked out her new LEPrecon uniform for the millionth time. The dull-green jumpsuit was a lot more stylish then those ridiculous buckled shoes and knickerbockers that the LEPrecon used to wear. Her new cropped hair showed off her pointed ears, and her very own buzz baton hung from her utility belt. Her first shift and debriefing didn't start for another two hours, but she couldn't help wearing the uniform.

Holly had made it. She had become the first female to ever make into the LEP recon. As she looked herself up and down once more, she knew how proud her father would be. She walked over to the shelf that she kept the glass container on and kissed it.

"This is for you daddy." Holly whispered.


End file.
